Ann Arbor, Mich. — Contract talks between the city of Ann Arbor and its largest municipal workers union have moved into mediation with no timeline for a deal, leaving nearly 300 members of AFSCME Local 369 working without a labor contract.
The union represents city employees in sanitation, parks and recreation and administrative roles. Its previous contract expired in December 2025, and negotiations on a new one have been underway since July 2025.
Union president David Kastner has said members want a modest wage increase to offset inflation, shift premiums for off-hour workers, an additional step increase and a full-time union president role paid by the city. Members took a 0% wage increase in 2025.
Mayor Christopher Taylor has said the union sought a 12% annual cost-of-living increase for three years, which he called unsustainable. City Administrator Milton Dohoney Jr. said the city will keep bargaining in good faith while staying fiscally responsible, and the city declined to discuss specific proposals.
The union median annualized base wage is around $63,600, and Kastner has said only about 17 percent of the local 281 members live within city limits. Some workers started under the expired contract at $16.66 an hour.
